Haas F1 hit with Huge fine after “heartbreaking” DNFs

Mostly improved mid-range team Haas F1 has been fined $10,000 for the unsafe pit-stop releases that resulted to Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean’s Australian Grand Prix retirements from the fourth and fifth place respectively.

The FIA stewards have ruled that both cars were “released in an unsafe condition”, suggesting the wheels were not correctly fastened. The stewards imposed two $5000 fines, one for each incident, but noted “the team ordered the car stopped immediately, and the driver stopped as fast as he safely could”.

Incorrect wheel fixing the problems at Haas which kicked off the drama. Magnussen had to say to Sky F1.

“It’s a very tough one to swallow for the whole team, with both cars not finishing in such good positions and such anticipation coming up to this race.

“It’s just so heartbreaking to finish like that. But we’ll get on top again, fight back and do it all again.”

Grosjean told the Sky F1’s Rachel Brookes: “All weekend I was happy with low and high fuel pace.

“Today I had great pace and I am sure I could have stayed a bit more with the front runners if I had been in front of Kevin at the start of the race.

“We will analyse everything and understand what happened exactly and come back stronger.

“We need to see if it’s a problem with the guns or problem with the mechanics. It’s a lot of points lost today but if we can repeat that performance over and over we will forget it very quickly.”